Baoh: The Return
by SoulSkip
Summary: Baoh reawakens eight years later to a new world, changed friends and more powerful enemies. A deadline looms over his head as he attempts to navigate this new world. What will he discover? Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction of the manga Baoh written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. I own nothing except the time in which I took to write this.
1. Prologue

It's kind of late to jump on the fan fic train of Baoh I think.

**~Just a little.~**

But better late than never. And I thought that Ikuro and Sumire deserved better endings. Anywho, here's a prologue to my version of how Baoh should have ended.

* * *

Prologue

* * *

_The pair of fishermen tossed out the net out the back of the boat. As it floated to the floor, the boat motored slowly ahead. The day was peaceful. Wispy clouds drifted through the clear sky. Small waves stirred the boat slightly as it cut through the water. All those aboard knew that it would be a good haul that day._

_A grinding of gears whined through the air, slicing through the peace as the full net was winched back to the surface. As it breached the water the fishermen congratulated themselves. The net was bulging with twitching fish as they attempted to return to the water. Hoisted onto the back of the boat the net spilled its contents and the fishermen went right to work sorting through the fish. Several minutes of work passed when one of the men paused in his work._

_"Oi! Yama, we don't have time for you to be spacing out!" the captain called down from his post. Yama didn't move and continued staring at his finding._

_"C-Captain! I found a body!" he finally managed. The other fishers stopped their work and moved over to their co worker. Among the pile of the fish lay a very human arm. One of the more brave men inched forward and poked away fish with his pole. Slowly, the body of a young man appeared._

_"Dear God," another man whispered, "It's just a kid."_

_Even the captain was looking at their horrid discovery, having cut the engine and allowing them to drift._

_"Must have come from a shipwreck. He hasn't been dead long," the captain pointed out. "I'll radio in. Let them know what we've found. In the meantime, get him out of the fish." He whipped around and returned to the wheel. The man was experienced, and had a job to do. He wouldn't allow something such as that bother him. His men however, were a different story. They bickered among themselves about who would take care of the body. Just as they decided, the young man's body heaved upward._

_"Captain!" Yama shouted, "The kid!" his voice trailed off as a rattling in the boy's throat deepened. The boy hunched over retching up sea water and whatever had been in his stomach. The captain and his men stared at the now very much alive body began coughing._

_It was the captain who reacted first. He retrieved a blanket from the cabinet beside the wheel and draped it over the boy._

_"You alright, kid?" he asked. Thick hair hung in the boy's face, obscuring it from view. It was impossible that the boy could be alive, the net went to the ocean floor and they dragged it for at least an hour. He could only describe it as a miracle. __**The kid is very lucky to be alive**__, the elder man thought._

_The boy murmured something that the captain failed to catch. Perhaps it was his name. The captain leaned closer._

_"Sorry, son. What was that?"_

_The former dead man looked up, a deadly light flashing in his eyes. "Where is Sumire?"_

* * *

*I read the Baoh series last year-

**~Really late I know.~**

*-and the ending was unsatisfactory to me. Of course many endings that mangakas put out are displeasing to me because I don't often want the story to end. Selfish of me, I know that. But when the ending hovers over my head reminding me of the loose ends and overall incompletedness of the thing then I have problems. And I have more important things to do than fantasize about what could have been done with Baoh.

**~Not really.~**

*Shut up! Anyway, because I need to vent my feelings and ideas somewhere, I'll publish this story here. For all two of the people who find this-

**~You aren't very optimistic are you?~**

*I apologize if my writing is sloppy compared to others on this site. I've never written a fan fic before. Certainly not on this scale as this one appears to be heading.

**~Really should have chosen a smaller and easier topic.~**

*Do you ever shut up? If you read this and like it, please let me know. If you hate it, please let me know. Either way I'm going to keep posting this story until I'm contented with how it ends. That is all from me. Thanks for your attention! Also, _**I own nothing of Baoh. It was written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki.**_

Soul~Skip


	2. Chapter 1

*I told you'd there'd be more.

**~Cause they were totally flooding you with reviews. Right.~**

*Here's the first chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Ikuro Hashizawa sat on the hospital, holding the steaming cup of tea close to his face. The scent was amazing. He felt as though he had been sniffing sea salt all his life. Even without Baoh, he felt as if his senses were enhanced. He supposed being dead for seven years did that to a person. Looking out his window Ikuro watched as cars passed on the highway and boats sailed around the harbor. The captain and his men were kind enough to bring him to land and the man Yama brought him to the hospital. Other than a few minor health issues, most likely caused from his seven years in the water, he was given a clean bill of health. The doctors insisted on having him stay overnight, to ensure that he really was healthy and wasn't going to go through a mental break down.

With a heavy sigh Ikuro thought, _As long as no one tries to kill me, I should be fine_. His memories were foggy as to what happened to cause him to 'die' for seven years, but he knew that the doctors would commit him to the psyche ward if he told him how he survived. It was something that he still couldn't believe. All that he knew was that Sumire had been in trouble. He needed to find her, but the boy didn't know where to start. With that occupying his mind he burned his tongue on his tea.

Hissing with pain he set the cup aside, looking around for a glass of water when he saw the tall female figure in the doorway.

"Yesh?" he asked with his tongue out. He still looked for water, but kept an eye on the woman as well.

"Ikuro Hashizawa?" she asked. Now the man paused and gave the woman his full attention. She wasn't one of his nurses. That must mean that she knows me somewhere else. A startling thought occurred to him. _Is this Sumire?_ Immediately he began looking for similarities between the two. The woman had dirty blonde hair, just like Sumire did. It curled softly around her face falling around her shoulders. She stood with an air of utter confidence and cool headedness. As if she could face the world down unflinchingly. The woman wore a light blue business suit with a knee length skirt. The cream blouse was unbuttoned at the top two buttons. In her hand was a slim black folder.

It could have been Sumire, but where as Sumire had green eyes this woman had blue. This woman obviously was used to easy living. Ikuro doubted that Sumire would ever submit to a life so lax. Not that she would have a choice if Judas kept chasing her. He just hoped that she was alright.

"Are you Ikuro Hashizawa?" she asked again. Warily, he nodded. Not entirely sure as to what her intentions were he remained on guard. A dazzling smile split her face and she rushed forward to take his hands. "I'm so glad it's you! You have no idea how wonderful it is to see you. My, my! You haven't changed at all!"

Ikuro was taken aback. He wasn't expecting this in the least. As the woman leaned closer, babbling nonsense, he leaned back. He was thrown off as to how he was supposed to react. He wasn't even sure he knew this woman. The lady finally seemed to take note of his discomfort. She went down from her toes and took a step back. But she kept a hold of his hands.

"My apologies, I'm Shiori Kato. I'm a cousin of yours," the woman beamed at him. She almost stood at his height, though he might have an inch or two on her.

"My…. Cousin?" he echoed, dumfounded at the notion. The woman in front of him nodded vigorously.

"Yes, on your mother's side. I heard that they had fished you out of the ocean. At first I didn't pay attention, and then they showed your picture and said you name and I couldn't believe it! After all these years! You're still alive. And you still haven't changed! I can't believe it! Seven years and not a single solitary gray hair," she said the last part teasingly. Ikuro still was in shock, but he was starting to warm up to the idea of having a cousin. The fact that he couldn't remember her didn't surprise him. There were many things that he still couldn't remember before waking up on the train. This second time around he could remember things a little better, but there were many parts in which his mind blurred the memory.

"Why, why are you here?" he asked finally. What would bring his cousin here? Was there another reason?

"Oh, yes that," she muttered sheepishly. "You are dead, according to the law. We need to fix that. Also, there is the matter of the estate. Legally it passed to you when they, uh, passed on. But you died. And now you are back to life. And that needs to get sorted out. The sooner the better."

Ikuro slowly sank back onto the bed. That was a lot to take in. All in one breathe too. Seriously, did she breathe at all when she talked?

"Ikuro? Ikuro, I'm sorry to drop this all on you just as you got back, but it needs to be taken care of. And if we get it done now, then you'll be able to settle back in a lot easier," she rested a hand on his shoulder. The man took a deep shuddering breath. Back on land and he was drowning faster than he did in the sea. He considered what his cousin said. Returning to a normal life as fast as possible would be great. Not to mention, he could hide from Judas. And what if this cousin of his could help him fill the blanks in his memory?

But then there was Sumire. He wanted to find her. See how she was after all these years. Did she think that he died? Had she had anymore encounters with Judas? Or had she been captured?

"Ikuro? Are you okay?" his cousin asked. She knelt in front of him, the worry plain on her face. "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have just barged in and berated you with all of this. I'll come back another day. Okay?" she stood to leave and Ikuro caught her hand. With a smile he replied.

"No, no. You're fine. I was just thinking about a few things. I think that it would be great to get started now. My memory is a little patchy. Perhaps you can help be fill it in." The woman beamed down at him.

"I'd love to! As long as you feel alright to go, I can check you out and we can get started. Are you alright to go?" she asked, concern once again flashing across her face. Ikuro smiled at her.

"I'm okay. Actually, I think I'll feel better once I get out of here. I don't have a fondness for hospitals." Shiori's eyebrow quirked up in confusion but she didn't press it. Instead she whirled on her heel and left to talk to the nurses in order to get him released.

Within a couple hours and after a doctor put Ikuro through another check up, Ikuro was released from the hospital. Shiori bounced alongside Ikuro. The man was surprised at this childish behavior from this professional looking woman. It hadn't been at all what he expected. He felt as though Sumire was there possessing the woman with the childlike persona. Perhaps Sumire turned out to be very much like his cousin, cheerful and carefree. He hoped so.

His cousin decided that it would be best to outfit him with new clothes. The hospital didn't have a fine selection and his old clothes had been tattered almost beyond recognition. She dragged him to the nearest clothing store and immediately filled his arms with clothes. Shiori claimed that she only wanted clothes for the trip home. Once there she thought that that would be the time to go do some proper shopping. He felt as if he tried dozens of shirts and pants before his cousin settled with a simple pair of blue jeans and a T shirt with the name of a band he didn't recognize. She brushed aside his questions on it saying that it didn't matter as it was just until they got back to her house.

Shiori all but skipped ahead chattering away as she filled him in on seven years he missed. A lot had happened. He wasn't surprised that his 'death' was glossed over. Judas could hardly come out and say that they were experimenting on people and animals and one of their experiments tried to destroy one of their bases. Judas wasn't even supposed to exist. Whenever Shiori twisted to look at him he smiled. Although he was worried about if Judas found him again, it was nice to have family. Still, he was sure that he could take care of them if they found him. The Baoh parasite would protect him and he would protect his cousin.

The cousins trailed through the city, the female bounding along and the male strolling by quietly.

"Ikuro! This is the train we need," his cousin pointed at the schedule on the ticket box. Confused, he caught up to her and looked at where her finger rested. The train was to be at the station at three. That was another hour of waiting. He sighed. He wanted to get out of the city as soon as possible, but if that was the train they needed then he would have to wait.

"Alright, sir," he directed his attention to the man sitting in the booth. "Is the train expected to be here on time?" The man shuffled a few papers and clacked away on a bulky computer.

"It appears so, young man. You two are lucky. The trains are running on time today. Usually they are a little late." Shiori grinned.

"Great! Then can we have two tickets for the train heading to Tadami, please," she fished in the pocket of her blazer and withdrew a small wad of money. Shiori paid the man and took the tickets from him. His cousin hooked her arm in his and tugged him along. To pass the time Shiori told him about her home.

"It's great living there. I can get almost everything I need in town. There are only a few stores that Tadami doesn't have. In those cases I have to travel to one of the other cities. You'll love living there. My house has plenty of room for the both of us. If you want to live somewhere else eventually that's fine, but for now I think that it would be best if you just stayed with me. Until we get you on your feet," she flashed another smile at him and he returned it. This woman moved so quickly. Ikuro realized that getting used to her rapid nature was going to take some time.

The hour was spent listening to Shiori rattle on and on about nothing in particular. When the train finally pulled up, Ikuro actually welcomed the squealing of brakes since it shut his cousin up. She seized his arm and pulled him along not really giving him a choice of where to go. He followed behind allowing her to take care of everything. Shiori directed the two of them through the cars to find their seats. The car was almost empty. There were four other people in the car. He had expected it to be fuller, but he had enough room to relax now. Not to mention he and Shiori could talk more. Well, Shiori could talk and Ikuro could listen.

It felt as though the moment the two of them sat down the train lurched into motion. _Perhaps they really were running late?_ He wondered about that, but Shiori was talking again and he had to somewhat pay attention to that. _She sure talks an awful lot._

* * *

_*_So yeah there will be more of this. And no, Sumire isn't in this yet.

**~Why not?~**

For those who don't know, Sumire is Violet. Just when I read/watched the series she was referred to as Sumire. That's why her name is different. I apologize._  
_

**~Why isn't Sumire here?~**

*Sumire will be coming up soon. I hope. I first have to write it. But her entrance will be cool.

**~Fine.~**

*Moving on, thanks for reading. Let me know what you think in the reviews please. _**I own nothing of Baoh. It was written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki.**_

Soul~Skip


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

While Shiori talked, Ikuro observed his surroundings. The long benches lined the aisle. Their design was so two benches faced each other; this would allow larger groups to stay together and talk without having to hang over the benches. Cushioned with red velvet cloth, the benches looked much more comfortable than they really were. Knobby wood prodded Ikuro in the back as he attempted to find some comfort. Dark wood shelves trimmed with a brass bar ran above the benches, providing a safer place to store luggage for those traveling. Neither he nor Shiori had luggage and thus it didn't warrant much of his attention. Large windows allowed in the afternoon light and provided wonderful scenery for those traveling alone. He spent most of his time staring out the window; only half paying attention to Shiori's ramblings.

They had been traveling for about an hour when Shiori took a break from her motor mouth and announced that she was going to the dining car.

"Stay here. I'll be back I soon as I have food in my stomach. I haven't eaten since last night," she waved back to him and trotted to the front of the car. Ikuro was happy for a few reasons. His ears would get a break, and if he pretended be asleep when she came back perhaps she would be quiet for the rest of the trip. He sighed. It truly was wonderful that he had family; he was just starting to wish she didn't talk so much.

The male also took this chance to think of what might have happened to Sumire. He hated to think of it, but it was quite possible that she had gotten recaptured by Judas. His throat tightened. _Or they could have just killed her for helping me._ He swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat. It was horrible to think about, but a strong possibility as well. Attempting to divert his thoughts from that dark path he looked around the car at the other passengers. One of them was actually standing next to the bench Shiori had occupied.

"May I sit?" the man asked. Taken aback, Ikuro just gestured his acceptance. The man dipped his head with thanks and settled onto the bench.

"Hello," the man said. He was dress in a hat and beige overcoat. The man wore a pair of work boots. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes, but there were faint wrinkles in his skin leading Ikuro to believe that the man before him was at least in his forties. Although Ikuro was in no mood to strike up a conversation it would be rude to tell the man to leave now.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you. How are you this afternoon?" he asked. The man nodded sagely.

"Quite well, thank you for asking. I just noticed you seemed a little familiar. Are you the man they pulled from the water this morning?"

"Heh," Ikuro smiled a little sheepishly. It was amazing how fast word travelled. "Yes, I am. It was no big deal really. Just my own stupidity got me in that situation. I was lucky that those fishermen came along when they did." The man didn't say or do anything for a while. After a minute or two of awkward silence he finally replied.

"Yes, it is," his hand flashed out. The sudden sharp pain in Ikuro's abdomen drew his attention to it. A long knife was embedded in his stomach. He looked in shock at the man in front of him. The overcoat was open now, showcasing an array of knives and guns. _How?! There is no murderous intent coming off this man. How did he trick the Baoh?_ Ikuro slouched back in the chair, the blood pumping from his wound.

The man drew a gun this time and pointed it straight at Ikuro's head.

"Good bye Baoh," he said as he pulled the trigger. Ikuro slid off the bench and rolled into the aisle. Backing away from the man Ikuro looked to the other passengers. They all were standing, pulling out weapons of their own. _They_ _knew. Judas knew I was going to be on this train._

The knife fell from his abdomen as Ikuro transformed into Baoh. The lead man screamed.

"Shoot! Shoot now!" Baoh Ikuro watched the guns flash as those in the car opened fire. The bullets ripped through his flesh but the Baoh kept healing him. That didn't mean Ikuro didn't feel the pain of each bullet. Still, neither the Baoh nor Ikuro could sense any murderous intent coming from any of them even as they shot to kill. _How is this managed?_ Whatever the reason, the host of the Baoh was threatened. And that meant the Baoh was threatened and would react. He lunged forward, towards the man who appeared to be the leader. The man ducked, never stopping in firing his gun. Instead Baoh Ikuro tackled one of the women. She drew her knife and stabbed him in between his ribs. The fire erupted along his side, but the Baoh quickly subdued it healing each time the woman stabbed. Baoh picked the woman up by her throat. She continued to stab, shoot and kick attempting to free herself. Baoh held her at arm's length before throwing her behind him. Flying above the seats her body shattered the window as she passed through it. She hit the car behind theirs and twisted away. It would be a miracle if she survived that, and impossible.

Baoh whirled to his next attacker. This second man looked a bit shaken at what Baoh had just done to his companion, but continued to shoot. He was the next to go. Baoh seized the man's gun wielding arm and smashed him to the floor. A flick of the wrist and the man flew up and hit the ceiling. As he fell Baoh snapped a kick that threw his second victim through another window and into a power pole running alongside the tracks.

His third attacker dropped down from the ceiling. She held his head between her legs and flipped backwards. He slammed into the floor face first. With a violent twist they laid on their backs and she rested a gun to the top of his head.

The bullet rocketed through his head and body and everything turned black.

* * *

Huffing from the rush of adrenaline, the woman stood.

"That should buy us a little time don't you think?" she asked her leader.

"Yes, but look," he pointed to the shattered skull of Baoh where the brain was reforming, "He's already healing. We don't have a lot of time." The man went to where he had been sitting and pulled a suitcase down from the shelf above. Inside was a five gallon case of gasoline. He handed it to the woman. "Hurry and douse him in this. We need to set the corpse on fire and kill Baoh completely. Judas says that there should only be ashes left." The woman gave a curt nod and began pouring gasoline over the body.

When the container was empty Baoh was already starting to rebuild the skull. The assassins were running out of time.

"Here," the man tossed a book of matches to the woman. With barely a glance away from her target she caught the box and opened it. As she was about to light a match a light flickered by and the woman cried out in pain. A pocket knife was embedded in her palm. She dropped the book clutching at the wound. The lead assassin whipped around searching for the source. _Who dared to interrupt this?_ They were on a mission to rid the world of a biological terror. Whoever had just saved Baoh would soon join him in death.

Another flicker warned the leader of a second attack and he dodged the weapon. The knife, a tactical throwing knife, lodged itself deep in the wood of the wall at the front of the car. Whoever was the attacker they knew how to throw a knife with accuracy and power. A third knife flew. With practiced ease the man caught it. _Despite their skill this person doesn't know when to stop_. The assassin had noted the location of their attacker in the last throw. With a jerk of his head the wounded companion withdrew the knife from her hand and inched towards the designated area. It was outside the cars, on the little platform that helped bridge the gap between two sections. While she took care of their assaulter, the leader would finish off Baoh.

The sudden cry of pain surprised him. He whirled to see his companion fall back against the iron railing clutching her mutilated side. Her other arm hung uselessly. As the female's hair whipped around her face, the first could see that deep gouges had barely missed her eyes. A twisted and murderous gleam flickered on her face just before a spurt of blood shot out from a bullet hole between her eyes. Her body toppled over the railing. The last assassin still saw no other person.

Being able to dispatch his companion so quickly, this newcomer was obviously skilled. He wasn't dealing with an average hit man. It was possible that it was a rogue assassin. But how would they know about what was going on here. Or perhaps there was someone else on this train? However they displayed skills that an average civilian wouldn't posses. Another sent by Judas? Then why prevent the killing of Baoh? It had to be someone with their own agenda.

Even though there was only a little over a minute before Baoh completely revived himself, the assassin turned his attention to the attacker that still had yet to be seen. This newcomer obviously planned to massacre. Perhaps they didn't know who was in here. And if what Judas said was true, than the Baoh would turn his attention to this new intruder. If he couldn't kill this person before Baoh reawakened then Baoh would kill the one with murderous intent first. The assassin could take care of Baoh after that.

"Whoever you are, stop playing this game. I can't allow this monster to reawaken. It must die. Once I have finished my job, I will spar with you if I am your target. But the bigger threat is _my_ target," the assassin attempted to negotiate. Two seconds passed before he reached for the matchbook.

"Looking for these?" a voice called sing song. The matches were gone from the floor. A person, the assailant presumably, sat comfortably in the bench next to the window that the assassin's male colleague had flown out. The slim matchbook was held before their face. It was a female who attacked him. The voice had led him to that conclusion and her figure was too slight to be a man, confirming his suspicions. Although she wore a black wrap around her face and the hood of the sweater up he could also tell she lacked any male features in the face. It was a face worn by tough choices, hard experiences and blood but feminine nonetheless.

"Oops," she cooed as the matches dropped from her hand and out the window. "Guess that makes the stakes a little higher," under the mask her face twitched into a dark smile as her eyes slid to Baoh. In a blur of movement she launched over the booth, jumped on the next two and leaped forward aiming sharp kick at his head. He easily blocked it, hitting her shins against his forearms. The female was only getting started, the assassin could tell. She had that slight gleam in her eyes that meant she wasn't going to stop until she achieved victory. Catching her leg the assassin used her momentum and spun in a tight circle. Letting go sent her rocketing for a window. Twisting in the air she caught the shelf of where the luggage was stored and turned herself a little more. A muffled _thump_ was heard as she managed to position her feet above the window, effectively stopping her.

_She does have promise_, the assassin admitted as he launched into another attack. The girl pushed off away from the wall, reaching the other shelf and side of the car. For a few more moments she dodged attacks. But when Baoh's body shuddered to life again, she snapped into action. A fake strike to the face followed by a real attack to the gut then a hard high kick. It connected solidly with the assassin's chin. She twisted behind him and drove her elbow into the small of his back. As the male buckled further she seized his head and curled her body. He flipped over her and fell the floor. She rolled over him, following her own momentum and popped to her feet only to crouch down next to Baoh's head. _Mere seconds_, the assassin realized as he rose and pointed a gun at the girl's head prepared to kill her and then Baoh again. He was surprised to stare down the barrel of a gun himself. The girl never looked away from Baoh, but the gun she held would not miss. They were at a stalemate for the moment. One wrong twitch and the assassin knew the girl would kill him. And he couldn't die yet, otherwise, who else would kill Baoh?

Speaking of which...

Like a specter, the monster rose silently, mono colored eyes staring at the two silently. Baoh Ikuro's attention flickered between the man who attacked him and the hooded girl still on her knees. Unlike the man, the girl screamed of murderous intent. But she had yet to attack him so Ikuro forced the Baoh to ignore her. Instead his attention fixed on the man who had tried to kill him. Still, Baoh couldn't pick up any ill will coming from this man. What is going on? The assassin startled at the sudden scrutiny of Baoh and this girl took her opening. The man crumpled, lifeless, blood oozing from the wound in his heart. His eyes were glazed in shock and death.

Baoh Ikuro stood in surprise as the scent of murder dissipated as the girl rose to her feet. The gun was no longer in her hands; even still Ikuro had to hold the Baoh's desire to rip her apart. Something about those eyes, eyes that were filling with tears. Ripping at her mask the girl moved for Baoh Ikuro.

"Ikuro!"

* * *

*Hello!

**~Yeah.~**

*So, the writing has been going quite well for this story. With the rate I'm going, the complete rough will be done within a month and the last chapter will come out soon after.

**~This means that we won't have to deal with you much longer, right?~**

*Why must you do that?

**~...~**

*... Anyway, to whoever finds this, R&R. Also, _**I own nothing of Baoh. It was written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki.**_

Soul~Skip


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

She rushed forward, linking her arms around his waist.

_Sumire_, he realized.

This was Sumire. As that reality settled in, the transformation dissolved and he found himself hugging Sumire right back. _Sumire saved me. Sumire just killed for me. What is Sumire even doing here?_ More thoughts rushed through his mind as he patted the sniffling girl's head.

"Eight years! I've waited for you for eight years!" she raised her head to look at him, eyes drowning in unshed tears. "And you have returned. I knew you would," she sniffed and stepped back, scrubbing her face. "Though I could have imagined a more civil reunion," she hiccupped a laugh at her own joke. Sumire smiled brightly at him and Ikuro marveled at her change. For one she'd grown taller. Her hair was no longer a dirty blonde but a soft brown with golden highlights tied back in a braid. Her eyes that had alerted him that something was different about this attacker still shone. But it was with happiness and excitement. The teen standing before Ikuro wore a bright green sweater with a deep hood, dark wash blue jeans and a pair of black combat boots with steel toes. Black leather gloves graced her hands. He was shocked to see blood stains on her clothes.

"Sumire, what did you-" he was interrupted by an ear splitting screech. Nearly jumping out of his skin Ikuro turned to see Shiori.

"What the hell happened here?" she was shaking as she stared wide eyed at the blood, broken furniture and shattered glass. Her eyes rested on the dead body. "Who is that?" she demanded and her eyes moved again to Sumire. "Who are you?!" the tone she used was as if she were resting all the blame on Sumire.

"Shiori let me explain. This is-" before he could get any further Sumire stepped in front of him, placing a hand on his chest.

"Before _I_ answer that," she stressed that she would answer for herself, "Who are you and how do you know Ikuro?" Sumire quizzed. Shiori bristled, obviously perturbed by Sumire's forwardness. Ikuro himself was surprised at the hostility in her tone. Sniffing disdainfully Shiori replied.

"I'm Kato Shiori. Ikuro's cousin," she glared down her nose at Sumire. Shiori wouldn't notice, but Sumire gave Ikuro a light shove to back away. He stared confusedly down at her. _What was wrong with her?_ Instead of relaxing his friend settled into a defensive crouch.

"No. I meant who are you really and from whom do you know Ikuro?" Sumire asked again, her voice low and deadly. Shiori's face, just for a moment, contorted into that of disgust and fury. Only for a moment, but Sumire and Ikuro caught it. Sumire's hand stopped him from going to his cousin. Or who he thought was his cousin.

"Ikuro, head to the last car. Keep your head down, don't stop for anything. At all. Understand?"

"He won't be going anywhere. He is property of Judas. He's a weapon one that should be destroyed," Shiori started to walk forward but was halted by a rather feral snarl from Sumire.

"Ikuro isn't a weapon to be used and destroyed. He is a person, another victim of Judas. The only reason any of this would be happening is if your employers hadn't implanted that thing in his brain!" she snapped back.

"Shiori, why would you-" Ikuro began.

"Ikuro, I said get out of here!" Sumire's eyes never left Shiori as she screamed at him. His cousin reached behind herself. Sumire didn't move and neither did Ikuro. Not until Shiori leveled a gun at Ikuro did Sumire draw back her arm holding a knife that Ikuro didn't know she had. In one smooth motion Sumire let fly her blade.

Shiori gave a small choking noise. She looked at the blade buried almost to the hilt in her chest. A look of incomprehension crossed her face, followed by the freezing muscles of death, latching that look on her face forever. Ikuro stared in horror at the woman he thought was his cousin as she fell to the floor. His stricken look soon moved to Sumire which was digging through the pockets of the male assassin she had killed.

_What happened in these last eight years?_ Sumire looked over her shoulder at him, her eyebrow crooked upward as she stood. Moving swiftly she collected knives scattered throughout the car. Ikuro watched at the efficiency at which Sumire gathered and cleaned the gore covered weapons. Once that was completed she tucked them into pockets and sleeves. She paused a moment longer at Shiori's body, patting through the dead woman's pockets, stuffing something in her own.

"Come on," she took his hand, "we need to get out of here." She tugged him along out of the battle torn car and into the next. Ikuro sort of expected it, but when they moved to the next car it was empty. Sumire kept pulling him along, despite his resistance and desire to stop and talk about what had happened. As if expecting some sort of explosion from him about what she had done, Sumire explained.

"I know that this is really confusing," she didn't even turn to look at him as she spoke, "but I promise to fill you in once we find someplace safe to hide." The two of them reached the last car. "And if my guess is correct, which they always are," she smirked as she peered out the window at the rushing scenery. "Then we are right where we need to be."

Sumire finally let go of his hand and went back the way they came. Through the open door he saw her struggle with the coupling between the two cars. When she fell back Ikuro hurried to the door, afraid she would lose her balance. But no, her hand caught the rail and she hauled herself to her feet. Slowly the car ahead of them began to put distance in between the two. Sumire returned to the car, closing the door.

"We aren't talking here. They still know where we are. For all I know, they could have had this whole train bugged. They may already know that you've survived. That's going to make it that much harder to escape them. But don't worry. I've had lots of practice avoiding them," she winked, dropping down on a bench. Ikuro blinked, dumbfounded. This was no longer the nine year who had helped save him from Judas the first time. This was an entirely different person impersonating the girl. He sat down across from her, unsure of how to phrase his accusation.

There was no need for him to bring it up. Sumire leaned forward, her elbows rested on her knees.

"I know that it is as if I am not the Sumire that you remember. But eight years have passed since you saw me last. And although you were a main reason for them to attack me, once you died I still was a target. I've been avoiding them all this time. That doesn't happen without changing a person, Ikuro. I promise, I am still Sumire and I will tell you more. But only once I'm sure that we are relatively safe. Okay?" she held out her hand to him. Hesitantly he shook it. A wide grin spilled across her face and she laid back. "Now all we have to do is wait for the train to stop. It shouldn't take too long."

True to Sumire's prophecy the train grinded to a complete halt within ten minutes. She jumped to her feet and skipped to the door. Sliding the door open she glanced over her shoulder.

"Ikuro? Are you coming?" he could hear concern in her tone. But he had been fooled by that before. This girl before him could just be impersonating Sumire. But then again, she had fought for him while he healed. She had protected him against the woman who was supposed to be his family. And every fiber in his being told him that this was the real Sumire.

Then what was holding him back?

"Ikuro?" Sumire was kneeling in front of him. She rested a hand on his knee, offering a slight smile. "I promised that I would tell you everything. And I will. After that, if you wish to go your own way, I won't begrudge you. But first I think a shower and new clothes are in order. You still smell of gas and frankly I'd rather you not go up in flames before I tell you about these past eight years. Deal?" she gave him an earnest look. Ikuro could tell she wasn't lying. Sighing he stood.

"Deal."

Sumire beamed and took his hand.

"Don't worry. I know where we can go. It won't take long at all."

* * *

*Sumire!

**~What a twist...~**

*Stuff it. Sumire is here now. No she's not the romantic interest. Not yet. That may change as it goes on.

**~Otherwise known as yes. She will be a romantic interest.~**

*Whatever. We'll see how it goes. Anyway, really short chapter. I acknowledge that I write rather short chapters. But I post after revisions after a day of writing. I have work and such to do, and yes I really only spend a day on each chapter so far. Then the next day is revisions and I post. This will probably change when I start writing the chapters in time periods of day(s) instead of hours. That is, the time in the story not in my life. Does that make sense? Really all these chapters so far have been taking place on the same day.

~No duh.~

*Die in a hole. Anyway, _**I own nothing of Baoh. It was written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki.**_ Please R&R.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

* * *

Sumire had been right. Their train car had stopped just outside a decent sized town. They only had to climb a hill before seeing the town spread below them in neat chaos. She led him through the town, which it surprised him that it appeared to be as if she knew the place by heart. Sumire, just like Shiori did, handled the talking and leading. All Ikuro could do was follow closely behind carefully observing the street signs and buildings around him.

Quickly arriving at the center of town Sumire checked into a hotel just down the street of the main shopping district. Where she got the money from, he didn't ask in front of the service. However, he made sure to keep it at the back of his mind to ask her about it once he had the chance. He assumed that once they got to the hotel room she would tell him everything. Instead she shoved him into the bathroom with an order to shower.

"I'll be right back!" she called in a chipper tone. And then she whisked out the door. Ikuro stood rejected again. When it was obvious she was gone he resigned to her order and returned to the bathroom.

* * *

Sumire reached the shopping district in a matter of minutes. Leaving Ikuro alone for too long would be bad. One reason was they still weren't safe. Her hands in her pockets, she lightly poked the wad of cash. Judas had funded their assassins well. While the woman assassin had held a fair amount of cash it was the leader who was the jackpot. Most of the bills were hundreds and fifties. There were smaller bills as well, but not as many. A quick count outside of the hotel room had told her that between the two assassins she had almost five thousand dollars. This much money was guaranteed to last her and Ikuro for quite some time.

She didn't bother with looking around at the city's landscape. It wasn't necessary. It was only a distraction. And if someone did try to sneak up on her she would sense it. _Of course_, she realized, _that wasn't the real problem_. Her abilities had grown much stronger over the past eight years. It was what helped her find Ikuro in the first place. But unless it was a flash forward into the future, the farther she was away from him the weaker she could sense him. _Yet another reason to get this done as quickly as possible._

Ducking into the nearest store that was aimed for her age group, she whisked through the racks. _I don't know what his size is_. After a short argument with herself she made her best educated guess snagging a few shirts and pants even going so far as to fetch Ikuro new underwear.

She was about to pay when she caught onto the whispers in the store. Not necessarily spoken aloud, yet heard all the same. Taking a few steps back she finally saw herself in the mirror. Sucking in a breath Sumire could understand why the people in the store were curious about her. Although the blood was long dried, the dark splotches covering her clothes and body still were noticeably red. A scabbed wound marked her face and cuts and holes were scattered through her clothes. The teen's eyes shifted to the clerk she had been about to see. The man stared right back. Offering a weak and awkward smile she spun on her toes and rushed back to the female section of the store.

This was considerably easier as she knew her size and her style. Still at a restrained run she returned to the checkout. Sumire bounced impatiently as the man attempted to strike up a conversation.

"Hello, how are you today?"

"Fine, thanks," her eyes flickered to the wall clock above the man's head. She had already wasted almost fifteen minutes on this. Most of it was just getting to the shopping district. It was possible Ikuro was out of the shower by now, and with only a set of more flammable than usual clothes to wear.

"Can I introduce you-" he began again.

"No."

"Are you sure? It would-"

"No! Sorry, but I have no interest in any sort of offers you have. And I'm in a bit of a rush. Could you kindly just scan these as quickly as possible?" her tone was clipped, and a touched annoyed. The man remained silent for most of the rest of the transaction.

"Are you alright?" he tried once more.

"Yes." The clerk finally understood that she wasn't going to engage him in conversation. Sumire was pleased that he finally got the message. He rang her up and she paid. Snatching the bag away from him she smiled.

"Thanks! Have a nice day!" and then she bolted from the store. Once outside she picked up her speed until it almost killed her when she ran out in the street in front of cars. Even then she didn't slow. Instead she slid over the hood of the car and kept running. _It's impressive that he can fit that many swears into one sentence and still be coherent._

Only pausing for a moment at another store to buy shoes and socks, Sumire ran to the hotel. The chance of Judas catching them was growing with each second she spent on this. Her errands needed to be completed and they needed to leave right away.

Entering from the side door of the hotel Sumire took the stairs two at a time back to the room on the second floor. She had left the keys in the room with Ikuro. If anything had happened to herself, or she lost the keys, it would be almost as bad as giving turn by turn directions.

"Ikuro," she knocked on the door. "It's Sumire. Can you let me in?"

There was silence but she could sense him on the other side of the door. After a few seconds of silence she heard the chain lock slid out and the dead bolt unlock. _At least he was taking that much precaution_, she mused. The door opened a slit and she could see Ikuro peering though.

"Um, I'm not…"

"Oh for heaven's sake," she rolled her eyes, "I know that. You can hardly put on those other clothes can you? Just go into the bathroom. I'll hand you some clothes that I bought. Try them on, 'kay? I don't know if they will fit though. Now will you let me through?" she raised an eyebrow at him. Coloring slightly he stepped away from the door and into the bathroom. She pushed her way into the room and tossed her burden on the bed. Pawing through the bag she pulled out all she had bought for him. She held up a few of the shirts. Realizing she hadn't the faintest idea on what he liked, she rolled the shirts, pants and bag of underwear into a ball and knocked on the bathroom door. Ikuro opened it and she shoved the clothes through.

"I didn't know your size. So if they don't fit, we can probably stop at another store. Also, I don't know what you like, so I just grabbed average stuff. Just get dressed. We still aren't safe," she returned to the bag of clothes. Laying them out on the bed she looked over what else she had purchased. Then Sumire looked at herself in the mirror. It would be best for her to shower, but she didn't want to stay here longer than necessary. Instead she stripped off the sweater, crossed the room and opened the window, tossing the article of clothing out. A wet towel to her face would get her through to the next town. Until then, she would have to deal.

* * *

Ikuro had showered and been waiting for Sumire for what felt like forever. He had been shocked and disgusted at how much blood had been rinsed from his hair. Thankfully, his hair was rather dark and the blood hadn't been visible. Sumire had had enough trouble trying to get a room looking as she did. The girl didn't need help from him. When she had returned, he had almost just invited her right in. But then he realized he was only in a towel. He would have felt awkward. He still felt awkward. Did Sumire really expect to stay the night here? She had gone the cheaper route and only reserved a room with one bed.

As he thought back on that, he browsed what she had brought him. Everything looked as if it would fit him. It had been kind of her to do this right away instead of forcing him to walk with her. Ikuro wouldn't complain if the clothes didn't fit.

Settling on what to wear he donned a black T shirt with the graphic of an orange dragon and a pair of blue jeans. Everything else he folded nicely and carried them back to the bedroom.

"Good," Sumire took the clothes from him and shoved them in a bag. "These may be too big, try them on," she tossed him a pair of gray tennis shoes and socks. Inspecting the size he noticed that they would fit well.

"Well, you guessed right on these too. They're the right size."

Sumire gave a self important smirk. "Of course they are. Why would I doubt my abilities?" she shrugged and pushed by him to the bathroom. The sink ran and he heard her muttering into something. He peered in the opened door as she gingerly cleaned the area around her cut then scrubbed the rest of her face. Slicking her hair back with water Sumire turned off the water and squeezed by him again.

"Go on!" she flapped her hands at him. "Put the shoes on. We got to keep moving."

"But," Ikuro's brow wrinkled, "Aren't we staying here for the night?"

"No. This is just to throw Judas off our trail. And to get you cleaned up. Now hurry up. I don't want to stick around here much longer." Ikuro struggled with his shoes as Sumire flitted around the room. She took his old clothes and tossed them through an open window. His ruined shoes followed. He noticed that she was no longer wearing that sweater. Instead it was a gray short sleeve shirt with a black and red vine rose pattern at the base mostly concentrated to the lower left side. He supposed that her bloody sweatshirt had gone through the window as well.

As soon as his shoes were tied she grabbed his elbow and towed him to the door. The bag swung in her hand as she shoved him through the door. She left the keys in the room.

"The side door, this way," Sumire led the way down the hall and to a flight of stairs at the end. Ikuro began wrapping his head around her plan. She wanted to leave a false trail for Judas to watch while they left unnoticed by anyone who saw them. Cleaned up, they looked as the everyday people. It was simple and clever. Made sense too even if it did seem to be a lot of extra work involved. Sumire took the lead again when they exited the building. She followed side roads and alley ways.

"Where are you getting all of this, Sumire?" Ikuro asked as she turned into yet another alley that lead to a back street between apartment buildings.

"From the people around me," she tapped the side of her head. "I can read the city in their minds. Collectively it creates an extremely detailed map that allows me to go through the city as if I've lived here all my life. Nice trick, huh?"

"Uh huh…" Ikuro trailed off. If it got them out of the city he really shouldn't complain.

Thanks to her stolen map, it only took them a few minutes to escape the city. They headed down the road, thumbs crooked up for passing cars. For almost an hour the pair kept walking as car after car passed them by. At long last a truck pulled up beside them. The driver rolled down the passenger window.

"Where you two headed?" the grubby looking man asked. A well chewed cigar twitched in his mouth. It appeared as if he was covered in a layer of grime and his scraggly beard and unkempt hair didn't instill any trust. Even a foot away from the truck Ikuro could smell the cigarettes and alcohol leaking out from the vehicle. Speaking of, the silver beast was dented and rusted so much Ikuro was surprised it hadn't limped up. Sumire, despite all the smells stepped up and leaned in the door.

"We are just heading to the next town. My brother and I had our car stolen while shopping back there," she jerked her head towards the town they'd left. "Willing to give us a lift?"

"Sure! Climb in the back," he threw his thumb over his shoulder as he placed the truck in park. Widely grinning Sumire turned to Ikuro and gestured for him to go first. Using the wheel as a stepping stool Ikuro climbed into the bed of the truck. Turning to help Sumire he discovered her already in and settling down. She gave a thumbs up to the driver and he returned the truck to drive. With a shuddering jolt the truck gradually picked up speed. Soon Ikuro's hair was completely dry and his face was a bit more tortured at the constant abuse of his whipping hair. Sumire only chuckled at his misfortune as she had all her hair gathered in a nice braid still.

The two sat in silence for the next half an hour, other than Sumire's laughs at Ikuro's expense. But all too soon the truck pulled to a stop and Sumire hopped out, followed closely by Ikuro.

"Thanks mister. You helped us out a lot. Have a good day!" and promptly left with little else to say. Ikuro scrambled after her, not wishing to lose sight of his companion. Sumire seemed to have relaxed a lot by just entering this new city. It appeared that she just needed to get away from the train and the rest of Judas. He wondered how long she would allow them to stay. Perhaps this was just another stop in her plan of escape.

"I'm glad that you are here," Sumire's voice cut through his thoughts. "I probably would have just walked instead of hitching a ride with that guy." Ikuro's brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?" He tilted his head down to look at her. Sumire rolled her eyes.

"He wasn't exactly clean cut. I've hitched hiked before, but I try to get the people who actually look non-psychopathic. It just makes my travel a lot less stressful. Granted, I could easily dispatch him, but that would eventually attract the attention of Judas. I don't like doing that," she smiled at a passerby, nodding her head. Ikuro could only watch in confusment. One minute she seemed as her old self, others she seemed like another person. And she had so many different sides to herself he wondered what her true personality was. She flip-flopped so easily it was hard to keep up.

"Hey Ikuro! This place will work out just fine." Ikuro looked forward. Somehow he had fallen behind Sumire. She was up ahead pointing at the hotel sign above her head. Politely waiting, she stayed still only long enough for him to meet up with her. Then she pushed through the door leading him inside. Following on her heels, he took a little more time to observe the hotel. Although it wasn't high end, it was certainly clean enough. The pasty colored walls were trimmed with a dark blue. Sailboats and other water themed pictures trailed along the walls. The wooden floor was covered in dark blue rugs that both contrasted and complimented the walls nicely. The front desk was the same pasty color as the walls topped with a gray marble slab. A young woman worked behind the desk busy with something. So busy she didn't notice as Sumire approached.

"Excuse me," she rang the little bell resting on the granite. The young lady's head snapped up, her eyes were wide.

"Oh, hello," her cheeks colored, "I apologize. What do you need?"

"A room. Just for the night for two people," Sumire reached into her pocket. "How much will that cost?"

The clerk was furiously clacking away on her computer as she answered. "It will come out to a total of ninety one dollars and eighty three cents." Below the woman's field of vision Sumire quickly flipped through her stolen money and withdrew a hundred.

"Okay," she reached over the counter to give the bill to the woman. "I don't need the change. What room will we be in?" The woman blinked at the large currency. Quickly she went through the steps to make sure that it was authentic. Once the clerk was satisfied that the bill was genuine, she typed on the computer again. Rising, she grabbed a key behind herself and laid it on the marble.

"Your room will be three forty seven. Check out is at noon, dinner is open right now until eight. Room service's number is on the phone in your room. The bar is open from ten to two in the morning. Will you please sign," she rested a waiver next to the key and pointed to several lines, "Here, here and here?" the clerk handed a pen to Sumire. With a sweet smile, Sumire signed, slid the waiver and pen back and snatched up the key.

"Thank you very much."

"Yes, and please enjoy your stay with us."

"Let's go," she prodded Ikuro in the side and set off for the stairs.

* * *

*This last one went really fast. Don't know why, just did.

**~Well aren't you special.~**

*So here's the next chapter. I should avoid work more often. It's great on my creative juices. _**Baoh written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki**_. R&R.

Soul~Skip


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Sumire unlocked the room and ushered Ikuro ahead of herself. Once inside she proceeded to lock up the room and close the curtains. The room was reasonably sized. A bathroom was just inside the door and held a shower, sink and toilet. _The essentials I suppose_, Ikuro thought. The two full beds were perfectly made with exact matches of bedding. A pair of pillows rested against each of the simply engraved head boards. The ends of the beds jutted a little farther than the wall of the bathroom and there wasn't much room to speak of between walls and mattresses. There was a lamp next to a phone on the bedside table between the beds. The builders had also placed lights above each of the beds, individually controlled. And finally in the floor lighting was a tall lamp next to a plush chair. _Not a bad deal for what we paid, _Ikuro noted. Sumire was speaking to him.

"No opening the curtains, don't unlock the door and don't go anywhere without me or without telling me. Okay?" she turned to him. Sumire stood tense, her eyes flicking around the room quickly. Ikuro nodded, settling on the first bed. It gave out a loud squeal and Sumire nearly jumped a foot in the air.

"Easy Sumire," he rose and set a hand on her shoulder. He could hear her heart pounding. The girl's shoulders rose and fell as she took a few calming breathes.

"You're right. I'm being irrational and much too jumpy. I need to relax," she brushed his hand off and went to turn on the lights. "It's going to get dark soon. And if I'm going to be telling you this story, I'd rather not mess with proper lighting or getting hungry in the middle of the story," she crawled over the bed and to the phone.

"What do you want to eat?" she asked, picking up the device and dialing the number for room service.

* * *

Within forty minutes there was a knock on the door. After Sumire confirmed that it was room service, she let them in and the man set up the cart. As soon as they left, Ikuro didn't waste any time in digging in. Sitting on the first bed he began devouring a fish. Sumire sat on the opposite bed picking at her plate of vegetables.

"Where do you want me to start?" she asked. The girl sounded a little depressed, tired even. Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he cleared his throat.

"How about you start at the beginning? I was told it's been seven years since I disappeared. You say eight. Why?"

"Give or take a month you've been gone for seven years and eight months. I just say eight years because it's closer to that than seven. Makes sense?" Ikuro nodded to this.

"Alright, what about when I-" he paused. Could he even call it his death? He didn't really die. "After I attacked Judas?"

"I went and lived with granny and grandpa."

"Really?" Ikuro perked up. He remembered the elderly couple that had helped the two of them. It had been kind of them to take her in. "How are they?"

"They're dead," her voice was flat, a solid mask on her face. Ikuro flinched. He didn't really want to ask, but he felt as if he had to.

"How?"

"Grandpa died when Judas found me. It was only a few months after your… disappearance. Granny died a year later from a heart attack. I couldn't get her to a doctor in time," her tone never wavered as she relayed this information.

"And I suppose your pet…"

"Notsuo? Shot right off my shoulder."

Ikuro chewed his lip. This was horrible of him, making her tell him of the deaths of everyone that she had for support. _And where was I? Sleeping at the bottom of the ocean._ Still, he had more questions.

"Um, Sumire…?" The girl gave him a tired smile.

"People die Ikuro. Natural or unnatural, they die. There is nothing I can do about that. The fact that I have an organization such as Judas after me means that those around me are in more danger. Death is a natural order of life. Fighting against it is foolish. I grieve, and I move on. Otherwise I will just fall. I'm fine if you want to continue."

Taking a deep breath, Ikuro thought carefully about his next question.

"Okay, finish telling me about the months after my disappearance."

"Well, I went and lived with granny and grandpa. For the next few months, everything was fine. It was as if Judas had totally forgotten about me. I had been okay with that. And granny and grandpa were great at accepting my shyness of social contact. They even got me a private tutor so I could continue my schooling. But then one day, I got a vision of Judas, or at least a man that they had sent after me. He came to the house that evening. I didn't even sense him. I should have. But granny let him in the house. When he tried to remove me by force, grandpa took offense to it. Judas' man shot him point blank. He didn't even give grandpa a chance." Here, Ikuro expected some sort of reaction from Sumire. Nothing. She still spoke with the same reporting tone. Her voice didn't rise or fall with what she said. No emotions registered in her body. She sounded like an average person giving the weather to a random stranger. Not even anger marred her perfect mask. Sumire kept talking despite Ikuro's wandering mind.

"Granny, surprisingly, was the one who came to my rescue that time. She got grandpa's shotgun and shot the man. She didn't kill him, but she gave me a chance to escape. The two of us and Notsuo ran to the town. I knew we couldn't stay there long, so we kept moving. I think it was my continuous pushing for us to keep moving was bad for her health. I don't even remember the town we were in when she suffered from the attack. By the time I was able to get her to the hospital, it was too late. She had already passed." Here Sumire took a deep breath. Her tight shoulders relaxed a bit, the fisted hands unfolded.

"Anyway," she sighed as if it was a normal catch up conversation between old friends. "I kept moving. I didn't know if I could trust anyone anymore. I just had to keep moving. Unfortunately a life of hiding isn't cheap. I still had to eat. I started thieving. Got me in a lot of trouble before I learned I could one up everyone by using my powers. Things worked pretty well for a while. But I still managed to attract Judas' attention. They have eyes everywhere. So I have spent most of the past years running and hiding from them."

"I see," he wanted to learn more about what she had done, but perhaps another time. "How did you find me?"

"The week after your disappearance I had a vision that you would awaken when I turned seventeen. Then a couple days ago I had a vision of you on a fishing boat and a flash of the harbor you would land in. Nothing more than that. I scanned the news stations for any information about a body found in the ocean. When I did find out that you were found I was already on my way to the town you'd be in. That's when it got difficult," she chuckled, playing with her hair, upbraiding and re-braiding it.. _At least she's showing emotion now,_ Ikuro kept a close eye on his friend, taking note of every twitch, trying to read her emotions.

"I knew you'd be in a hospital, I just didn't know which one. So there was a lot of questioning and back tracking. But then I got a sense of you. I followed that, sometimes it got stronger and sometimes weaker. And every time I couldn't sense you I panicked that I wouldn't be able to find you. I got to the station just as it was pulling out. I almost missed you Ikuro. I was that close to losing you again. Thankfully, I was able to jump onto the last car."

"But," he thought about the train ride. Even if she was in the last car, she would have been able to approach him early on. Reveal herself. Help him fight the assassins from the beginning.

"But why didn't I show myself?" Ikuro nodded at her self-directed question. "Well, I knew there were other people there, but Judas has done something. I can no longer sense the intent of their people."

"Wouldn't that point out immediately who is of Judas?"

"You'd think, but someone's intent is only readable with strong emotions and they have to truly mean it."

"How do you mean?"

"Many people say 'I'm so angry I'm going to kill him'. But very few really mean it. To read the intent of someone they have to feel the emotions strongly."

"Um," Ikuro's eyes rolled back as he attempted to understand what she was talking about. "Can you explain again?"

Sumire's mouth tugged into a smirk. "Basically normal, everyday, and mundane feelings aren't felt as any sort of intent. The emotion has to be strong enough and consume the person's mind. Fury, passion, love, lust and sadness are the most common emotions in which can create intent. But that's not the only thing that contributes. The intent to kill, for example, is often brought on by those emotions. Many times, however, the killing intent will disperse as the person comes down from that high emotional state. Those who don't are the men and women who will commit crimes. Understand?" she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. Sumire's eyes never left his face.

"Starting to," Ikuro responded slowly. That self praising smirk again and Sumire continued.

"Only those who feel an emotion with enough force, those are the people who I can read the intents of. Everyone else is below the radar because the emotions they are feeling right than are no different than any other day," she took a breath. "Well?"

"I understand. But why did you still not come to talk to me?"

"Two things: I didn't know if the others were or were not of Judas, and if you were perfectly safe and content, than me revealing myself would only bring Judas to you. Believe me; I wanted to run in there. I wanted to talk to you. But the fact that I could just end up bringing the Judas organization down on you stopped me."

Ikuro thought on her reasoning. It was sound. Judas would find him eventually. But they were already tailing her closely while he had just been resurrected. She had been thinking of his safety from Judas. Not that it had really mattered in the end. Judas had been watching him from the very start. The moment Ikuro touched dry land, they knew. _How do they know all this?_ He looked at Sumire. Her eyes still hadn't shifted. They were soft and compassionate. For a moment, Ikuro wondered if this was another skin of her's. Something to slip on when needed and discarded when used. He wondered who the real Sumire was. The soldier, the strategist, the liar, the logical, or was this understanding young woman before him the real personality? Ikuro resolved to find out. But he had more questions.

"Alright, what about when they tried, and succeeded, I might add, to kill me. Why didn't you jump in at the first gunshot?" he startled himself by sounding accusing. That wasn't what he meant. The male only wanted to know why she hadn't come to his aid at the very beginning. Sumire shrugged, not seeming to mind the tone he had used.

"You would have killed me."

Ikuro's eyes grew wide. This was something he really didn't understand. "I- I-," he found himself getting angry at her words.

"I would not!" Ikuro burst to his feet with a roar. Sumire's eyes still rested where he had been. She hadn't flinched. The girl barely even blinked at his reaction. Not looking at his face, she asked,

"Ikuro, what is the first instinct of the Baoh parasite?"

His fury swiftly dispelled with that question. Quieting down, Ikuro returned to his seated position. Sumire pinned him in a fierce, but somehow still kind, look.

"What is the first instinct of the Baoh parasite?"

Meekly came his reply. "The Baoh parasite's first instinct is to protect itself. That's why it grants the host all these abilities," he stared down at his arms, deliberately avoiding Sumire's intense glare. She seized his jaw and brought his head up to look her in the eyes. Gone was the compassion. Instead it was coldness and fire.

"And who," her voice was steel, a commanding officer talking to a private, "Is the first target of the Baoh?"

He tried to look away but Sumire tightened her hold, her ragged nails forming indents in his skin. Shifting his eyes, Ikuro meet her gaze.

"The Baoh attacks those with the intent to murder."

Sumire's stare softened again and she instead cupped his cheek. "I was ready to kill, Ikuro. I wanted to go in and watch the blood spill from their bodies. I wanted to cut them apart, burn them to ash and let them scatter to the wind. And I would have Ikuro. But your Baoh would have killed me. I had to sit out. I had to watch as that woman attack you. I saw your brain disintegrate and your skull shatter. I didn't get involved until the woman was going to light you on fire."

"All because Baoh would have killed you before you helped me," Ikuro added what she had left out. Sumire only nodded.

"The only thing that the parasite knows is how to see threat level. Not a threat to who or what, only that there is a threat. That is enough for it to take over. In a room of those five," Ikuro's shoulders folded as he thought of Shiori. Sumire placed her other hand on his cheek to keep him looking at her. "In a room of those five, I would have died first." Ikuro sparked upon an idea.

"But I didn't." Sumire frowned, confused by the bright eyes and change of composure. Ikuro continued, "The last assassin died after I reawakened. It's true. You absolutely reeked of murderous intent. The assassin didn't though. Baoh wanted to kill you, I know. But I stopped it. I have control of it Sumire," Ikuro spoke excitedly. Sumire looked less than impressed though.

"I still wouldn't rely on that too much. You forget that I have seen you fight as Baoh. There is no mercy and there is no holding back. I don't know if the Baoh will allow that to happen again or if it was a onetime thing." Her words fell hard, squashing whatever benefit he had to offer about Baoh. He knew she was right. Thinking that he would be able to completely control the parasite was foolish. Although he hadn't allowed it to kill Sumire, he wasn't sure that he could do it again. But he would try.

"Sumire?" he spoke quietly. Sumire once again watched him with that kind look. "How did you know that Shiori was with Judas?" Sumire's face fell, her eyes dropping to her folded hands.

"I didn't," the whisper was so soft, Ikuro almost missed it. Almost. His head popped up and it was his turn to glare at her.

"What do you mean, 'I didn't'?" he demanded. Unlike him though, Sumire raised her head to look at him directly.

"It means that I didn't know who or what she was. Simple as that," her eyes challenged him to get mad again. When he didn't she continued. "Just like the others, I couldn't sense intent in her. But I wasn't going to allow her to get near you until I could get some form of read off of her. If she was who you thought she was then I would have left her alone. But I doubted her because Judas wouldn't have allowed a civilian get close to you without interfering somehow. This led me to believe she was you cousin, but manipulated, or she was a Judas operative."

"Is that why you didn't attack right away until she had brought out a gun?" he asked, shamed once again by how she thought everything through. Sumire nodded.

"I didn't want to hurt her unless it was necessary. And threatening you and me openly was a definite threat. I'm sorry that I had to do it, but it was to protect you."

"I understand Sumire. And there's no need to apologize to me. I had been foolish to trust her completely. Especially with the situation that I'm in." The girl across from him allowed a wry smile.

"What else do you want to know?"

"I want to learn more about your powers. What can you do?"

"Oh…." A pensive look settled. "This is something I haven't ever had to explain before. Um, well, I can sense the intent of people. I've already told you that. I can sense people as well and I can read their minds as well." This information unsettled him a little.

"Can you elaborate?"

"Okay, I don't really mean that I can always hear thoughts. And really, just like my visions, they are more pictures than anything. And I have to really focus. It isn't a normal part of my abilities. I had to build and refine it. And it still is rather spotty sometimes. Don't worry. Your brain is perfectly safe. I won't be reading it unless it is necessary," she assured him. Still not believing her, Ikuro continued.

"Then how do you explain responding to my questions on the train? I never asked them," he said this with triumph. The girl in front of him smiled pityingly.

"You are hardly a master of the poker face. Your body language told me everything. Not to mention, if it was me, then I would want to ask the same questions. Are you content with that?"

She had so easily disarmed and dismantled his winning point, so he flapped his hand for her to continue.

"Good. Sensing people is just what it sounds like. But I still actually have to focus on the area or the person I'm looking for. Otherwise it just lies dormant. My range is rather limited too. Maybe a mile or so. But just inside that mile cut off, it still is very slight. The strength in which I sense a person depends on how close I am to them. Getting closer to them also makes it easier to pinpoint their location, but one wrong turn and I can lose them again. Like earlier today when I was tracking you."

"I see," Ikuro nodded. It put his mind to ease that she didn't know everything that went through his mind and where he was at all times. If she did, it would be like having Judas compacted into one person. All knowing and forever watching. Sumire relaxed back onto her hands.

"What else do you want to know?" she asked, clearly content with story time.

* * *

Ikuro quizzed her until the small hours of the morning. He questioned her on powers, important events that he missed, more about Judas, what she had learned about them and where she had gone and more. Eventually, he happened to glance at the alarm on the table. Four o'clock?! It can't be that early already. But as he stared at the clock lead creeped into his limbs. His eyelids fluttered.

"It is rather late. Or early, is the correct term," Sumire was stretching. "We need to sleep," she shoved the cart filled of cold and barely touched food into the hall and flicked off the over head light. The lamps above the beds and on the bedside table cast weird shadows on and around the furniture. Sumire flopped onto the second bed, lazily kicking off shoes. Not bothering with sleeping under the blankets, the girl rolled herself in the comforter. She reached up and turned off the light above her own head. Worming farther into her cocoon, she sighed happily.

"Good night Ikuro. Don't worry about getting up at a certain time. We should be alright for today. Tomorrow, we will set out again." And nothing else came from the little female. In mere moments her breathing deepened to sleep. Ikuro stayed sitting for a while before switching off the rest of the lights and sliding under the covers of his own bed.

Although he had a long and rather chaotic day, Ikuro found it difficult to fall asleep. When he had first awoken on the boat he had been filled with an all consuming rage. His vision was bloody, his mind filled with ways to dispatch the men who had just saved him. The next minutes had been spent shaking uncontrollably in suppressing his desire to destroy. The only reason Ikuro could think of was that he had been furious when he attacked Judas. Perhaps even after his 'death' the fury had remained in the back of his mind, festering the whole time. _I never asked what happened at Judas. I still don't remember what I did there. How did she escape? _He rolled to his side, staring at the back of Sumire. _And what's the complete story of what happened after_? Since the girl's cocoon offered no answers Ikuro once again flipped to his back.

His mind drifted back to the boat. Ikuro hadn't stopped seeing red until several minutes passed. The captain and his crew had wisely kept their distance during that time. Though, their reasoning might have been along the lines of staying away from the walking dead. Yama had been the first to approach him with a few quick snacks scrounged from the cabinets. They had been stale, but Ikuro ate them with gusto. A seven year fast, even if he was in stasis, had left him famished. The captain had let him know that they were heading back for harbor, but other than those two none of the other crew spoke to him. Again, that had made sense to him. And even when Yama finally checked Ikuro into the hospital, the other man was still very much wary of Ikuro. Much of the hospital staff and patients had shocked at his entrance as well, wearing rags for clothes and the aura of death did that to a man. But after the initial shock the staff had treated him like any other patient. After the physical that registered him as fit, other than an abnormal salt level, they had placed him in a room alone. The food they provided was wolfed down in seconds. A nurse had been kind enough to bring him seconds, and then thirds, for him to eat.

Ikuro had then spent his time fantasizing about Sumire, whether or not she had escaped safely. His head turn to the cocoon again._ Of course, escaping safely and staying safe are totally different things. I can't believe I didn't think about whether or not she had remained away from Judas._ Ikuro sighed. He doubted he would get answers from her anytime soon on that topic. And he didn't want to press it. Dredging up all the bad memories in one day was not something he could handle. Sumire… He didn't know what to think of Sumire. She seemed to be somewhat like her old self, but then there were little moments where she would seem completely emotionless. _Was she just coping by detaching herself from the emotions and who they pertained to?_ The ceiling didn't produce any answers still and he rolled his back to Sumire and slowly descended to sleep.

* * *

Sumire could hear Ikuro shifting around in the bed next to her. She continued feigning her sleep. The girl would not drift off so easily. There was still too much to be worried about. Judas was after them. Leaving first thing after they woke up would be the smartest thing to do. Heading out of the towns and into the countryside would also be the next best thing. Ikuro may not like it, but camping outside away from civilization was their safest option. Granted, it would still be dangerous. But it would be less so since she would be able to sense any person who attempted to sneak up on her.

She curled away when Ikuro's sigh cut through the silence. He was still awake. Sumire was tempted to talk to him again, but the two of them needed sleep. It had been a trying day. For her, despite the deaths, it had been a victory. She had found Ikuro again. And he was still with her. Unchanged from how she had first met him. His naivety was refreshing to her, a long overdue look on the world. The girl wondered what would have been different if he had awakened earlier. Or what if grandpa and granny had lived. Sumire drew the blanket over her head. _No need to think of that anymore. I have moved on._ She remained tucked under the comforter until she began getting light headed from the carbon dioxide. Sticking her face out of the cocoon, her eyes slit open and she twisted to look at Ikuro. His back was turned to her. It appeared that he was falling asleep. _Something that I need to do_, she acknowledged. The clock read just after five. _The planning can wait after I sleep. It won't do Ikuro any good if I'm running empty._ Sumire nestled into the comforter again. Sleep came quickly to the girl.

* * *

Ikuro woke a little after noon to the sound of running water. The bed next to him was vacant. _She made the bed? Why? There are maids who do that_. He returned to lying on his back when he noticed a paper on the ceiling. _What in the world…?_ He stood carefully on the plush bed and plucked the note from the ceiling. _How did she get this there without waking me?_ Bouncing down to a seated position he read the note quickly.

_Ikuro, _

_Make the bed like I have done to mine. We aren't registered in this hotel. Not anymore at least. The maids don't know that there is anyone in this room and I plan to keep it that way. Our registration has been 'lost' by the clerk. Clean whatever mess we have made. Don't go wandering around. Being seen by two people is enough for me. We will be heading out as soon as possible. Be ready to leave when I am._

_What did she do to get rid of our booking?_ Ikuro flipped the paper several times to make sure there was nothing else. He read over the note again and his eyes rested on a sentence. "Don't wander around". Ikuro's face grew warm. _What do you mean don't wander around? I'm not going to stick around while she's in the shower!_ The water cut off at that moment. Panicked, Ikuro dropped the paper and dove under his covers. It was a few moments before he heard the door open.

"What are you doing?!" as the blankets were ripped off he burrowed his head under the pillows. "I know I said you could sleep Ikuro, but we need to get moving. Go change quick. I'll take care of your bed." Ikuro peeked out from under the pillows. Sumire glared daggers down at him. Her hair was wrapped in a white towel provided by the hotel. She wore a green shirt with a smudged black and white panda on it. On closer inspection, the green background had bamboo trees in it. A pair of blue jeans and her boots remained a staple of her outfit. Her gloves were also there, only tucked into her pocket at the moment.

"Move!" she barked, shoving him off the bed. He dropped into the gap between the wall and the bed. Since it was a tight fit, he had to wriggle and twist his way out on his side. By the time he emerged Sumire was already halfway done with remaking his bed. Stumbling to the bathroom, he washed his face and cleaned his teeth with the products provided. The bag of clothes was in there. Of course, why would I think that she'd get dressed in the room itself? Continuing with cleaning himself up, Ikuro replaced his shirt with a solid dull orange polo. He stuffed his worn shirt into the bag and returned to the bedroom with it. The bed was made and Sumire was impatiently pacing. She looked up, eyes glinting with annoyance.

"There you are!" she snagged the bag and used that to tow him along to the door. Opening it a sliver, she peered out, before opening it more to look up and down the hall. He heard her breath, "Perfect," then withdrew back into the room. Gathering the wet towels from the bathroom she slipped out the door jerking her head at him to follow. He complied, closing the door behind them. She sped down the hall and dropped the towels in an unattended maid cart. Without pause she passed through the door to the stairs. Ikuro trotted to keep up with the girl. It was clear she didn't want to spend any more time here.

Nothing was said until Sumire had them safely away from the city. She paused for a moment looking back at the city and Ikuro. Spinning on her heel, she turned her back to civilization.

"Ikuro! We are going off grid!" she announced and cheerfully skipped away.

* * *

*I have nothing to say really. But please R&R. Let me know what you think. That's all. _**I own nothing of Baoh. It was written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki.**_

**~She's not in the mood of talking right now.~**

Soul~Skip


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